Riverside Bistro- Petaluma

By Carol & Joe Davis
Dining Detectives

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We are so lucky to live in Northern California where it is common to be able to dine outdoors on summer nights. We had heard good things about the Riverside Bistro which recently opened in the old J M Rosen's space in the Golden Eagle Shopping Center and decided to bring some friends to try their American Cuisine. There are great views from the dining room and their covered patio overlooking the Petaluma River. The dinner menu features just enough choices for everyone and the prices are very reasonable with entrees all under $20.00 and a $5.95 Kids Menu.

We were seated on the patio right next to the river and settled in for an evening of river watching and dining. Sammie, our server, was soon at our table and we ordered some Calistoga Sparkling Water, a Stella Artois Beer which is on Tap and a bottle of 2009 Clos Du Bois Sauvignon Blanc. We were told that on weekends they have live Jazz including local favorite Peter Welker and vocalist Jeff Oster on Fridays from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM and Surprise Jazz musicians on Saturdays from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM.

The Starters that we had were reasonably priced and delicious! We loved the Tiger Prawns Cocktail which had large fresh prawns and a spicy cocktail dipping sauce. The Crab Cakes made with crab claw meat and a spicy remoulade dipping sauce was outstanding and better than some we've had for twice the price. We also enjoyed the Jalapeno Poppers which was a unique appetizer with a raspberry dipping sauce.

The Salads were both superior as well. The Caesar Salad made with crisp romaine hearts, house made crunchy croutons and shaved parmesan cheese with house Caesar dressing was light and tasty. The Spinach Salad with roasted beets, walnuts, dried cranberries, bleu cheese and bacon tossed with a vinaigrette dressing was delicious and very fresh.

All of the Entrees are served with house salad or soup of the day. We enjoyed the Clam Chowder, as we had already ordered salads. The 10 oz. New York Strip Steak grilled medium rare as ordered, served with garlicky smashed potatoes and veggies was our favorite entree. The Sautéed Scallops served over Penne Pasta with mushrooms, spinach, green onions, shallots and parmesan cheese in white sauce had large scallops and was quite tasty once we spiced it up with salt and pepper.

The 2008 Coastal Vines Sauvignon Blanc paired well with the scallops.
We saved room for Desserts and were glad we did. The classic J M Rosen's Cheesecake had a hint of lemon and was as we remembered... it creamy and outstanding! The Chocolate Cake was moist and light but not too sweet or rich. We lingered and enjoyed coffee as a cooling breeze came up. Dining at Riverside Bistro on the patio watching the Petaluma River activity was a great way to spend the evening. We look forward to returning for weekend jazz, as well as trying their weekend brunch.

Riverside Bistro- Petaluma
54 East Washington Street
Golden Eagle Shopping Center
Petaluma, CA. 94952
707-773-3200